Latest news with #YouthChoir


Scoop
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Pavarotti's Widow Pays Tribute To New Zealand Youth Choir
July 16, 2025 Nicoletta Mantovani, widow of Luciano Pavarotti and organisers of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales have paid tribute to the "outstanding" New Zealand Youth Choir. This follows their remarkable triumph as Choir of the World at the world-renowned festival. In a double celebration for New Zealand, the choir's director, David Squire, was also named Most Inspiring Conductor. David Squire was presented with the prestigious Pavarotti Trophy by Nicoletta Mantovani, widow of the legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, the world's best-selling classical artist. Nicoletta Mantovani said: "On behalf of the Pavarotti Foundation, I was honoured to present the Pavarotti Trophy to the exceptional New Zealand Youth Choir, winners of Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Their talent and passion truly reflect Luciano's spirit - especially during this special year as Decca Classics celebrates 90 years since the birth of the great Maestro." Founded in 1947, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod promotes peace and friendship through music and dance. This year's event also honoured the memory of Luciano Pavarotti, who performed at the festival in 1955. In partnership with Decca Classics, his long-time record label, a 120-foot chalk mural of the Maestro on the hills overlooking Llangollen. It was commissioned with the approval of Nicoletta Mantovani and was unveiled near the iconic Llangollen Pavilion. Decca Classics has also announced a year-long celebration marking what would have been Pavarotti's 90th birthday. As part of the tribute, they have released 'The Lost Concert', an album featuring Pavarotti's historic 1995 performance at Llangollen. Chair of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, John Gambles, praised the choir, who also recently achieved success at the European Choir Games in Aarhus, Denmark. John said, "This choir should be a source of immense pride for everyone in New Zealand. Our audiences fell in love with their sound, spirit, and stage presence. They were not only musically exceptional but also outstanding ambassadors for their country. The Llangollen Eisteddfod upholds some of the highest musical standards of any choral competition in the world. For the New Zealand Youth Choir to win Choir of the World on the very stage where Luciano Pavarotti's international career began is a tremendous achievement. The crowd was captivated when the choir performed an impromptu haka before rushing to the stage to celebrate with their inspirational conductor, David Squire."


Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZ Youth Choir Wins CHOIR OF THE WORLD
Press Release – Choirs Aotearoa NZ Trust In Wales last night, New Zealand Youth Choir director David Squire also won Most Inspiring Conductor. The New Zealand Youth Choir has won CHOIR OF THE WORLD at the 2025 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. This follows their massive win at the European Choir Games in Aarhus, Denmark, earlier this week, where they won the Grand Prix of Nations with a score of 97.5 in the Folklore category, In Wales last night, New Zealand Youth Choir director David Squire also won 'Most Inspiring Conductor'. Choirs Aotearoa CE Arne Herrmann, who is travelling with the choir, commented, 'We are so proud of our mahi and our art earning this recognition on a global stage. Our waiata are a taonga we have shared with audiences around the world, and the judges called them 'the true spirit of Aotearoa'. For us, coming from the other side of the world, representing our beautiful country and the people of Aotearoa … this win is just unbelievable.' MORE ABOUT DAVID SQUIRE David has taught music in schools for 35 years and in 2011 won a New Zealander of the Year Local Heroes Medal for services to music education. His ensembles have won many awards at local and international music festivals, such as the NZCF Big Sing. His Rangitoto College mixed-voice chamber choir, The Fundamentals, won the platinum award at the 2008 NZCF Big Sing Finale in Wellington – the first time for a mixed-voice choir. David's upper-voice choir from Kristin School, Euphony, was third in the open female choir competition at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, in 2013. In 2019, Euphony represented New Zealand at the Budapest International Choral Festival, winning the Youth Choirs of Equal Voices category, coming 3rd in the open Musica Sacra category and was invited to compete for the Grand Prix. David's Westlake Boys High School lower-voice choir, Voicemale, won the Grand Prix at the 2nd Leonardo da Vinci International Choral Festival in Florence in 2018, and David won the award for best conductor at this event. David has been music director of the Westlake Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, and it has won more gold awards at the KBB Music Festival than any other ensemble. In 2014 the orchestra was placed first equal at the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna. David is also the director of the Auckland Youth Choir, Vice-Chair of the New Zealand Association of Choral Directors, is a national conducting advisor and tutor and was a governance board member of the New Zealand Choral Federation for 9-years. He completed his undergraduate study at the University of Auckland, with an emphasis on conducting and composition, later graduating with a Master of Music degree with first class honours in choral conducting. He studied singing with Isabel Cunningham, Glenese Blake and Beatrice Webster, and conducting with Karen Grylls and Juan Matteucci. He has sung with many top choirs in New Zealand, including the Auckland Dorian Choir, University of Auckland Chamber Choir and the New Zealand Youth Choir. He was a founding member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the V8 Vocal Ensemble. David has previously led the New Zealand Youth Choir on four international tours, including the USA and Canada in 2013, which featured performances of the War Requiem by Britten in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, as well as concerts in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York and Washington DC. In 2016 the choir gave concerts in Singapore, the Czech Republic, France and the UK. Tour highlights included singing high mass at Notre-Dame in Paris, a lunchtime concert at Windsor Castle, and producing a live DVD recording of a well-received concert at St Johns Smith Square in London. The choir also participated in the Festival of Academic Choirs in Pardubice, Czech Republic, winning every category it entered, as well as the prize for outstanding vocal culture, and then going on to win the Grand Prix. At the end of 2019 the choir embarked on a Pacific tour aboard the cruise ship MS Maasdam, taking in Tonga, Niue, Fiji, New Caledonia and Sydney. In 2022 the choir toured Australia, presenting performances in Tasmania, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and at the Sydney Opera House. As a freelance musician, David has conducted several local ensembles, including the Auckland Philharmonia and the St Matthews Chamber Orchestra. He was the assistant musical director of the New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir, founding musical director of the Auckland Youth Big Band, chairman and administrator of the KBB Music Festival, and a live performance reviewer for Radio NZ Concert. David is often involved in session and recording work, particularly as a conductor, adjudicator, clinician and singer and was choir director on the recent New Zealand film, Tinā. He has also served as the choir director for Synthony, and is the chorus master for the International Schools Choral Music Society based in China.